Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Phonogram: Rue Britannia

Kieron Gillen (who apparently does not sleep) wrote this graphic novel, and it's terrific. It's set in a world where there are mages called a phonomancers whose magical power is derived, and these mages worship goddesses who represent different genres and subgenres of musical history (most importantly, Britpop in the early 90s).

The protagonist is a slouchy sort of fellow, both charming and an asshole, often at the same time. He's also tremendously interesting.

The writing (Kieron) and illustration (James McKelvie) are both first-rate, it's an excellent read, and in a conceptual sense, it's one of the most interesting ideas I've ever seen in fiction. The first series (six issues) is available in a compilation via Amazon, and the second series, Phonogram 2: The Singles Club, is somewhere midway in the seven-issue release cycle.